George Lopez proud of ‘Rio’, an explosion of heart, color, sound to DVD this week (VIDEO)

One of the best characters for me in the new “Rio” out on DVD is that of George Lopez’s Toucan, Rafael.

The loquacious, happy-go-lucky prolific papa bird shares his knowledge of Rio de Janeiro and Carnival with Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a bird who discovers his physical limitations are really what make him special.

For that simple theme, reassuring kids that being a “little different” is okay and quite marvelous, makes this film a must-own for any parent looking for quality stories to bring home for children.

On DVD this week, “Rio” is an explosion of song and vibrant animation depicting Brazil¡¯s lush landscapes that will captivate the entire family.

“Rio” is the story of Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), a blue macaw living as a pet in Minnesota. With his species nearly extinct, he is brought to his native Rio de Janeiro to mate with Jewel, a free-spirited female macaw (Anne Hathaway). During Carnival, the two are kidnapped by black-market poachers, and a hard-won romance blossoms between the two as they work together to escape.

Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha puts all his knowledge and love of his home turf into the story, and the actors fill their animated roles with the right notes and feelings.

The film shines with the additional talents (and music) of Jamie Foxx and Will.i.Am too

Bonus DVD extra features take you in the studio with will.i.am and Brazilian bossa nova icon Sergio Mendes, who was George Lopez’s favorite person to discuss at his recent press junket. The DVD¡¯s exclusive ¡°Angry Birds Rio¡± is an excellent bonus too.

At the press junket, Lopez choked up when one reporter stood and thanked him for making her soldier son happy after three grueling tours of duty.

The attending mother/journalist said, ¡°You are like the new Bob Hope, crossing borders and changing the world for the better…”

The woman shared that her son and other military personnel met Lopez at the George Lopez Foundation July 4th celebration at CBS studios in Los Angeles, and that his appearance lifted everyone’s spirits.

Lopez had made an effort and took the time to get to know each individual soldier, offering a ¡®thank you¡¯ and a handshake. Emotionally affected, Lopez paused and said, ¡°I will go on record and say that is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me in my life.¡±

In celebration of the August 2nd Blu-ray and DVD launch of RIO. Highlights of the extras will include:

¡¤ 3D Format

¡¤ The Making of Hot Wings

¡¤ Saving the Species

¡¤ Angry Birds

¡¤ Coloring App

RIO will be available on 3-Disc Party Edition, featuring the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy; as well as in a 2-Disc DVD Party Edition on August 2.

To celebrate the release of RIO on Blu-ray and DVD August 2nd, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment invites you to color in your favorite characters from the film! Mix and match different characters and backgrounds, then get ready to color! Draw and fill colors with your fingers.

Save your finished paintings to your device’s photo gallery and print them right from within the application. You can also email your creations to family and friends and share them on Facebook.

Need a little inspiration? Watch the exclusive ¡°Creating with Color¡± video on the app from a Blue Sky Studios animation coloring artist who helped create the movie RIO

¡ñPaintable RIO characters and backgrounds

¡ñ18 colors to choose from and two brush sizes and bucket fill

¡ñExclusive instructional video from Blue Sky Studios

¡ñSave your painting to your device¡¯s photo gallery

¡ñEmail your picture to friends and family

¡ñPrint your artistic masterpiece via AirPrint

¡ñShare your creation on social networking sites like Facebook Perfect for children, families and on-the-go entertainment!

The Rio coloring app is available NOW for FREE on Android Market and iTunes App Stores with two characters and one background available for coloring. Once the Rio Blu-ray is released on Aug. 2, the insert included will unlock the additional 10 characters and 4 background within the app.